Apparatus for reshaping used sheet metal containers



Nov. 17, 1936. c1 D. LENNON ,06 ,034

APPARATUS FOR RESHAPING USED SHEET METAL CONTAINERS Filed om. 17, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 g I czgmflentor Attorney Nov. 17, 1936. c. D. LENNON ,061,0

APPARATUS FOR RESHAPING USED SHEET METAL CONTAINERS Filed Oct. 17,1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A f mlgvenlor Attorney Patented Nov. 17, 1936 V UNITED STATES PATET OFFICE APPARATUS FOR RESHAPING USED SHEET METAL CONTAINERS Clarence D.'Lennon, Detroit, Mich. Application October 1'7, 1935, Serial No. 45,467

i 9 Claims. (01. 153-70) My invention relates to an apparatus for rea swinging can-retaining bar in raised position shaping used or discarded sheet metal containers, whereby the container may be removed from bewhereby they may be adapted for other purposes tween the rolls upon completion of the crimping than that for which they were originally designed. operation.

An object of the present invention is to provide Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view .6

an inexpensive but attractive jar for flowers, taken on or about line 4-4 of Figure 3. or as a pot in which plants may be bedded, con- Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional View taken structed from discarded tin or other sheet metal on or about line 55 of Figure 3. cans;-such as the containers employed by can- Figure 6 is a rear elevation with parts in sec- 10 ning factories for canning fruits and vegetables, tion, showing its worm-shaft and gear for actu- 10 or paint manufacturers for their products, etc. ating the crimping roll.

The object of employing discarded sheet metal Figure '7 is a perspective view of an opened, .c..,...

cans for this purpose is because the cans have discarded can, before removing the top,-or little or no value after the contents have been crimping the wall of the can.

removed,--therefore their application for this Figure 8 shows the can with the top removed. 5 purpose materially reduces the cost of the re- Figure 9 is a perspective view, showing the suiting flower or plant container,-which is both annular wall of the can crimped. pleasing and acceptable in appearance. In carrying out this invention, the covers of Florists have found that a suitable container the discarded cans,obtained through rag pickers adds materially to the attractiveness of flowers or junk dealers-are first removed so as to preor plants offered for sale, and if the container sent a smooth upper edge, the can is then subis not too expensive, the selling price of the flowers jected to a chemical solution to remove stains or need not be increased as a result of its inclusion. any former contents of the can that may still To reduce to a minimum the cost of such a conremain attached to its walls. The can is then tainer it is proposed to secure tin cans discarded introduced between the crimping rolls which reby bakeries, hotels, restaurants, and others using shape its annular wall. The wall of the container canned or preserved fruits and vegetables in prebeing thus crimped, it is then painted, sprayed, paring food, pies, menus, and the like, The gang or coated with enamel, both inside and out, thus are first cleaned, then reshaped, and later enam- Completely v g y Stains and d sguisin its eled to disguise their former use, and thus they o er character. 30

present a pleasing and attractive appearance as Referring W to t e letters of reference discontainers for either cut flowers or potted plants, pl ye p n e draw n s to indi ate the several and being formed from discarded material, they parts of the machine: may be included in the purchase price or sold at A, denotes the frame of the machine. A ina very nominal figure. dicates a partition wall integral with the side 35 With the foregoing and other objects in view and upper and lower walls of the frame. Jourwhich will appear as the description proceeds, naled in a rearwardly-projecting hub A inthe invention further resides in the combination tegral with the partition wall is a shaft B, carryand arrangement of parts and in the details of ing a rotatable, crimping roll C, tapering slightly construction hereinafter described and claimed, toward its inner end. Mounted on the outer end 40 it being understood that changes may be made of theshaft B, is a gear D, in mesh with a wormin the precise embodiment of the invention hereshaft E, journaled in the side walls of the frame. in disclosed without departing from the spirit of F, denotes a crank arm for manually rotating the same. the worm-shaft to actuate the gear D, and In the drawings accompanying the specificacrimping roll 0. 45 4 tion: G, designates an annular floating roller,

Figure 1 is an end elevation of the machine crimped on its inner surface that it may enter showing a rotatable crimping roll in mesh with into intermeshing coordinating relation with the a floating annular crimping roller, between which crimping roll C.

and'said crimping roll, the wall of a circular can I-I, denotes a yieldable cradle, having an arc- 50 1 is being crimped. shaped face to receive the floating roller G.

F1gure 2 is a side elevation of the machine. I, indicates a plurality of friction rollers jour- Figure 3 is an end elevation showing the floatnaled in the cradle on which the floating roller 1 ing annular roller released from intermeshing re- G, rests. lati n with the coordinating crimping roll, also J, J, are springs sleeved at one end on up- 5t standing studs integral with the frame,and at the other end upon like studs projecting downwardly from the lower wall of the cradle.

K, denotes an adjustable block secured to the end of a screw shaft L, which may be manually adjusted by a handle M, secured to the upper end of the screw shaft.

N, N, are rolls journaled in the block K, adapted to contact the perimeter of the floating roll, upon adjustment of the hand-wheel.

To secure the block K, against rotating with the screw shaft L, upon adjusting the hand-wheel M, lugs K K integral with and projecting from the block K, overlap 2. lug projecting from the partition wall A of the frame (see Figure 5).

P, denotes a swinging latch bar pivoted at P to an ear extending from the side wall of the frame. As shown in Figure 3, the latch bar may be swung from the position indicated in the full lines, to that shown in dotted lines, where it is secured by a hooked latch member Q, secured to the frame of the machine.

R, denotes a can (see Figure 1) in process of being crimped. The bottom of the can has been removed in this figure in order to clearly show the crimping roll C, which would otherwise be covered by the bottom of the can.

Having indicated the several parts by reference letters, the operation of the device will be readily understood:

The cover of a discarded can, (see Figure 7), is first trimmed off, as shown in Figure 8. The latch bar P, is then swung from the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3, to the fullline position shown in that figure. It will be noted in said figure, that the floating roller G, is substantially concentrically spaced from the crimping roll C,-due to the adjustment of the hand-wheel M, upon raising the block K, from impinging contact with the floating roller, as indicated in Figure 1, to release a finished container or to insert a can to be crimped.

The can,as indicated in Figure 8,is now thrust between the crimping roll C, and the floating roller G;the bottom of the can covering the end of the crimping roller. The swinging latch bar P, is then shifted to the position shown in dotted lines, thus securing the can,-during the crimping operation,against creeping outwardly from the end of the roll. The hand wheel M, is now adjusted to force the rolls carried by the block K, against the perimeter of the floating roller G, and the latter against the spring-supported cradle I-I, thereby bringing the ribs of the floating crimping roller G, into intermeshing relation with the ribs of the crimping roll C,with the wall of the can R, between them,as clearly indicated in Figure l. The crank arm F, is then manually operated to rotate the worm-shaft E, and gear D, whereby the crimping roll C, is actuated, causing the Wall of the can to be crimped between the rolls, due to their progressive rotation.

It will be noted that the floating crimping roller G, is of a relatively greater length than the crimping roll C, ee Figure 4,thus providing for the release of the metal forming the bottom of the can that it may readily conform and adapt itself to the crimping of the side Walls of the can.

Upon the completion of the crimping operation,

The manu ally operated wheel M, is then adjusted to relieve the pressure of the block K, upon the floating roller G, which is then automatically raisedto substantially concentric relation with the crimping roll 0, through the action of the springs J, J ,-as indicated in Figure 3.

The container may now be withdrawn from between the rolls that another can may take its place, whereupon the operation just described is repeated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting frame; a rotatable corrugated crimping roll journaled in the frame; an annular floating corrugated roller encircling the rotatable crimping roll, adapted to coordinate with the corrugated crimping roll to crimp sheet metal between the corrugated crimping roll and the floating corrugated roller; an adjustable block adapted to force and progressively maintain a segmental portion of the floating corrugated roller in intermeshing relation with the rotatable corrugated crimping roll; and means for rotating said rotatable corrugated crimping roll, whereby sheet metal lodged between the corrugated crimping roll and the annular corrugated floating roller may be progressively corrugated.

2. In an apparatus of the character described,-

a supporting frame; a corrugated crimping roll journaled in the frame; an annular floating corrugated roller, encircling the crimping roll, adapted to mesh with the corrugated surface of said crimping roll; means to progressively force and maintain a segmental portion of said floating roller in intermeshing relation with the crimping roll; yieldable means for automatically raising and supporting said floating roller in spaced and substantially concentric relation to the perimeter of the crimping roll upon releasing the means employed for forcing and maintaining the floating roller in intermeshing relation with the crimping roll, whereby the wall of a circular container may be introduced between said rolls for crimping; and means for actuating said crimping roll and thereby the floating roller, whereby the wall of said circular container may be crimped.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a supporting frame; a corrugated crimping roll journaled in the frame; an annular floating corrugated roller encircling the crimping roll, adapted to mesh with the corrugated surface of the crimping roll; an adjustable block, adapted to bear upon the perimeter of said annular floating corrugated roller, to force progressively a segmental portion of the corrugations of said floating roller into the corresponding corrugations of the crimping roll; a shaft supported in the frame, connected with said adjustable block; means for adjusting the shaft; and a spring-actuated adjustable cradle for supporting said annular floating corrugated roller, adapted to automatically maintain said roller in substantially concentric relation with the corrugated roll upon releasing the adjustable block from control of the annular roller.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a supporting frame; a corrugated crimping roll journaled in the frame; an annular floating corrugated roller encircling the crimping roll, adapted to mesh with the corrugated surface of the crimping roll; an adjustable block adapted to bear upon the perimeter of said annular floating corrugated roller, to progressively force a segmental portion of the corrugations of said floating roller into intermeshing relation with the corrugations of the crimping roll; means for adjusting said block; and a spring-actuated adjustable cradle for supporting said annular floating corrugated roller, and to automatically maintain said roller in substantially concentric relation with the corrugated roll upon the release of the adjustable block from its controlling relation with the annular roller.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a supporting frame; a corrugated crimping roll journaled in the frame; an annular floating corrugated roller encircling the crimping roll, adapted to mesh with the corrugated crimping roll; an adjustable block, rolls fitted to said block, adapted to bear upon the perimeter of said annular floating corrugated roller, to progressively force a segmental portion of the floating roller into intermeshing relation with the crimping roll; a screw shaft supported in the frame, connected with said adjustable block; means for adjusting the screw shaft; a spring-actuated adjustable cradle for supporting the annular floating corrugated roller, and to automatically maintain said roller in substantially concentric relation with the corrugated roll, upon releasing the adjustable blocl: from control of the annular roller.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting frame a rotatable corrugated crimping roll journaled in the frame; an annular floating corrugated roller encircling the rotatable crimping roll, adapted to coordinate with the corrugated crimping roll to crimp sheet metal between the corrugated crimping roll and the floating corrugated roller; and means adapted to overlap the end of the annular floating corrugated roller, and the rotatable crimping roll, whereby upon rotating the crimping roll the sheet metal crimped between the crimping roll and the floating roller will be held against creeping outwardly from between the roll and roller.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting frame; a rotatable corrugated crimping roll; a shaft carrying the crimping roll, journaled in the frame; an annular floating corrugated roller encircling the rotatable crimping roll, adapted to coordinate with the corrugated crimping roll to crimp sheet metal between the crimping roll and the floating corrugated roller;

a spring-actuated cradle for normally maintaining said annular floating corrugated roller in spaced relation to the rotatable crimping roll; an adjustable block adapted to progressively force segmental portions of the annular floating corrugated roller into the corrugations of the crimping roll to crimp sheet metal delivered between the crimping roll and the floating corrugated roller; a swinging latch bar adapted to overlap the end of the annular floating corrugated roller, and the end of the rotatable crimping roll, to insure against creeping of the metal from between the roll and floating roller, during the act of crimping; and means for rotating the shaft on which the crimping roll is mounted.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting frame; a rotatable corrugated crimping roll journaled in the frame; an annular floating corrugated roller encircling the rotatable crimping roll, adapted to be rotated by the corrugated crimping roll, whereby sheet metal may be crimped between the corrugated crimping roll and the roller; an adjustable block; a manually actuated screw-shaft on which said block is mounted, adapted to progressively force segmental portions of the corrugated roller into intermeshing relation with the rotatable corrugated crimping roll to effect the crimping of said sheet metal.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting frame; a rotatable corrugated crimping roll journaled in the frame; an annular floating corrugated roller encirling the rotatable crimping roll, adapted to corrugate the side wall of sheet metal cans when inserted between the rotatable corrugated crimping roll and the floating corrugated roller; said floating roller being relatively longer than the rotatable corrugated roll, whereby the metal forming the marginal edge of the side wall of a can at its junction with the metal forming the marginal edge of the bottom of the can may be free to bend sufficiently to relieve an otherwise rigid right-angle relation,

previously existing between the marginal edge of the side wall and the marginal edge of the bottom wall of the can.

CLARENCE D. LENNON. 

